"There is none. None at all. We hoped
that the remaining planets would find a favorable conjunction, but--"
Dave Hanson studied his helpers with more bitterness. "Oh, hell!" he
said at last. He snapped his fingers. "Abracadabra!"
His skill must be improving, since he got exactly what he had wished
for. A full side of beef materialized against his palm, almost breaking
his arm before he could snap it out of the way. The others swarmed
hungrily toward it. At their expressions of wonder, Hanson felt more
confidence returning to him. He concentrated and went through the little
ritual again. This time loaves of bread rained down--fresh bread, and
even of the brand he had wished for. Maybe he was becoming a magician
himself, with a new magic that might still accomplish something.
Sather Karf smiled approvingly. "The theory of resonance, I see.
Unreliable generally. More of an art than a science. But you show
promise of remarkable natural ability to apply it."
"You know about it?" Dave had assumed that it was completely outside
their experience and procedures.
"We _knew_ it. But when more advanced techniques took over, most of us
forgot it. The syllables resonate in a sound pattern with your world, to
which you also still resonate. It won't work for you with anything from
this world, nor will anything work thus for us from yours. We had
different syllables, of course, for use here.
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